Rab Neutrino Pro Down Jacket Review

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The Rab Neutrino Pro packs oodles of warm down insulation into a lightweight package. Photo: Ella Boyd//The Inertia

At 5’11”, 150 lbs, with an ape index of +4, I’m the definition of an ectomorph (long and lean with a high metabolism). Besides being incapable of gaining weight (believe me, I’ve tried), the biggest impact on my life is that I get cold very, very easily. With that in mind, I take my winter warmth seriously. If I’m not moving, I need to be well-insulated.

Luckily for me, I’ve spent the past four years testing puffer and winter jackets for The Inertia, which has allowed me to sample the best and warmest down insulation that the outdoors industry has to offer. And one piece of insulating equipment that I keep coming back to is the Rab Neutrino Pro Down Jacket ($425). A hefty winter-weight down jacket with an outer shell that’s a touch burlier than most down jackets, it provides an incredible balance between down’s lightweight packability and a bit of extra durability and weather protection. The design has been updated for this year with one of my personal favorite features, an interior drop-in pocket (that also doubles as a stuff sack!), and is also referred to as the Neutrino Pro Hoodie.

Bottom Line: The Rab Neutrino Pro has set a new standard among puffy jackets for lightweight, packable warmth and weather protection. With tons of 800-fill down insulation (treated with a hydrophobic coating), and a durable, weather-resistant outer shell that remains lightweight and packable, this unique combo has hit a sweet spot that lands it on best-of lists across the internet. For dependable, winter-weight warmth (without the weight), the Neutrino Pro is hard to beat.

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Comfortable, warm, and with a touch more durability and weather resistance than your average puffer, the Neutrino Pro is a winter beast. Photo: Michele Sileo//The Inertia

Testing The Neutrino Pro

I’ve spent the past two years owning and loving the original Neutrino Pro Down Jacket (pictured in yellow), and this fall, received the updated Neutrino Pro Hoody (pictured in navy blue). It’s accompanied me just about everywhere I roam, from snowy winters in Truckee and Tahoe to foggy summers in San Francisco. There, it has become a favorite of mine for warming up after cold-water surf or wing foil sessions. I chose a size Large to allow for easier layering underneath.

Man wearing the Rab Neutrino Pro Hoody with the hood up on the trail

Photo: Michael Perrone//The Inertia

Notable Features

Rab Neutrino Pro Hoodie ($425)

Rab Neutrino Pro Down Jacket

Shell: Pertex Quantum Pro
Insulation: 7.5 oz of 800 fill-power goose down
Weight: 19.9 ounces

Pros: Comfortable and ultra-warm puffer with a Pertex Quantum Pro outer shell for added water-resistance and durability
Cons: A bit less packable than your classic puffer with the added weather-resistance/durability, technical styling

Pockets

For a winter or puffer jacket, interior pockets are a fairly important feature for me. Or at least pockets of some kind beyond the traditional hand pockets. Reason being, I want to keep those hand pockets unoccupied and unzipped to stuff my hands in as needed in cold weather. As such, a zippered chest pocket (inside or outside) is a necessity for small valuables I don’t want to lose, while interior drop-in pockets are another huge plus, being a great place to drop my keys when moving from house to car, or stuff a warm hat or gloves when not in use.

A new interior drop-in pocket is a huge addition to the Neutrino Pro. Photo: Michele Sileo//The Inertia

The Neutrino Pro always did pretty well in the pocket game, with fleece-backed hand pockets and an interior zippered chest pocket, but it lacked that interior drop-in pocket. In the latest update, it tacks on the drop-in pocket, made of a stretchy mesh, which also doubles as a stuff sack that the jacket packs into for easier packability.

Showing cuff design on the Rab Neutrino Pro

Cinchable cuffs help seal out drafts. Photo: Michele Sileo//The Inertia

Other Features

The helmet-compatible hood has a stiffened brim to keep it from falling into your eyes when worn without a helmet underneath, and has a back velcro adjustment and drawcord adjustments on either side to help cinch things down as needed. They do a fairly good job of reducing the hood size without looking awkward.

Another favorite feature of mine is the adjustable sleeve cuffs. With a low-profile velcro adjustment that’s similar to what you’d find on a ski jacket, it’s easy to keep out drafts or widen the sleeve to allow for easier layering underneath.

A velcro cinch on the back of the hood helps keep the brim out of your eyes. Photo: Michele Sileo//The Inertia

Weather-Resistant Shell

Down jackets sure keep you warm when the weather is clear, or the precipitation is falling fully frozen, but when they get wet, it’s all over. Many puffy jackets advertise a DWR-treated shell, or hydrophobic-treated down, but for the most part, anything more than a light drizzle and you’re soaked through and shivering. With a slightly more robust outer shell made of Pertex Quantum Pro material, hydrophobic down, and that ever-present DWR finish, the Neutrino Pro outperforms most down jackets in the weather-resistance department.

There are certainly more weather-resistant down jackets on the market, such as options like the Patagonia Jackson Glacier, which sport a full-on waterproof/breathable membrane, but these jackets tend to trend more casual, or are so bulky due to the waterproof membrane and thicker outer shell (like The North Face McMurdo Parka) as to be virtually unpackable.

Where the Neutrino Pro shines is in the unique mix of winter-weight warmth and impressive weather resistance, combined with the loftly, lightweight comfort of down in a surprisingly packable design that makes the jacket extremely versatile.

double front zipper on the Rab Neutrino Pro

A double front zipper helps with movement and allows the jacket to be used as a belay parka. Photo: Michele Sileo//The Inertia

Durability

Building off of the above, another huge plus of the burlier outer shell is the durability it provides compared to a traditional, more lightweight puffy-jacket shell material. This is a huge plus for use in rough environments such as backcountry skiing or rock climbing (the Neutrino Pro makes an incredible belay parka). It’s not a durable outer shell as you’d find in a ski or snowboard jacket, and retains a nice supple hand-feel, but the uptick in durability is noticeable.

All sealed up, the warmth you generate inside this winter beast is considerable. Photo: Michele Sileo//The Inertia

Downsides

The downsides to the jacket are more trade-offs than true flaws in design. First off, the jacket runs warm for year-round use in most climates. Stuffed with 7.5 oz of 800 fill power down insulation as it is, what makes it such an incredible coat for when the temps dip below freezing cuts against the jacket’s year-round versatility. That said, where I live in San Francisco, the Neutrino Pro is an incredible year-round option, perhaps seeing even more use during the foggy summers than the winter months.

In carving out this unique niche of warm and weather-resistant versatility, there is a sense in which it becomes a “jack of all trades, master of none” jacket. It’s not as weather-resistant or durable as a burlier winter jacket with a waterproof membrane and tough outer shell, and it’s also not quite as packable as a down jacket with a thinner outer shell. However, these sorts of down jackets, which prioritize packability, can often feel overly delicate, so we feel the slight decrease in packability is well-worth the uptick in durability.

Finally, the jacket has more of a technical style when compared to more city-oriented jackets like the Arc’teryx Thorium or Patagonia Jackson Glacier (see “The Competition,” below). But the jacket is far more technically capable than either of the jackets I just mentioned, so don’t expect to have your cake and eat it too in this case.

Overstuffed baffles give the Neutrino Pro a very high level of warmth — enough to keep you warm when you stop moving. Photo: Michele Sileo//The Inertia

The Competition

Fully waterproof winter jackets will always win out in terms of weather resistance. No doubt, the Neutrino Pro is more resistant than your classic puffer, but it still wouldn’t be my first choice to get caught out in a rainstorm with. If truly wet conditions are on the menu, you’d be better-served with a jacket such as the Patagonia Jackson Glacier (which trends more casual), or a true wet-weather beast like the Patagonia Stormshadow, which combines a Gore-Tex waterproof membrane and oodles of down insulation for the best in warmth and weather protection.

The most similar jacket we’ve tested is the Arc’teryx Thorium Hoody. We found the Neutrino Pro is a better bang-for-buck, priced at $425, compared to $500, with higher-quality down (800 vs 750 fill-power), and more of it, with an almost overstuffed feeling that translates to luxurious and highly packable warmth. However, the Thorium has a slightly burlier outer shell at 30 Denier, compared to the Neutrino’s 20D shell, and has a sleeker, less-technical appearance if that is your preference. Another puffer jacket to consider here is The North Face Retro Nuptse Down Jacket. Check out our guides to The Best Winter Jackets and The Best Puffer Jackets for more options.

The Neutrino Pro is a highly popular style for a lot of reasons. Photo: Michele Sileo//The Inertia

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Neutrino Pro is a top pick among winter-weight puffer jackets for a lot of reasons. Packing tons of warm, high-quality down, this is a great choice as a belay parka, a heavyweight puffer to pack for emergencies or summit-ready warmth while backcountry skiing. That said, it’s not so technical that it can’t be worn casually, and would not look out of place as a daily driver puffy jacket just about anywhere it gets cold enough to justify this level of warmth.

The recent inclusion of an inner pocket, which doubles as a stuff sack, brings a higher level of utility and packability. And at $425, the price is right. It’s not cheap, but for the level of warmth and durability that you’re getting, it’s well worth it, and better bang for buck than other similar winter puffers.